Mail-box



. O. R. PAYNE.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZQ. I919.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Inventor, Osorn 1?. Fag 722 Z OSBORN RICHARD PAYNE, 0F OELWEIN, TOW/VA.

MAIL-BOX.

Application filed May 29, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSBORN R. PAYNE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Oelwein, Iowa, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mail-boxes, and the objects of my improvements are first to provide such a box with a swinging closure equipped with a receptacle for money adapted to tilt with the closure to deliver its contents by gravity, and second, to mount upon said box a semaphore having operative linking-connections to said closure, said linking-connections being capable of being adjusted for the purpose of rendering the semaphore non-operative when desired.

These objects I have accomplished by the means which are hereinafter described and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved mail-box closed, and with the semaphore down; Fig. 2 is a perspective View of said mail-box closed, and with the semaphore raised,and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device open, and with the semaphore lowered.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The mail-box 1 may be of any desired size, form or material, the one shown being made of metal, hollow, rectangular, and open at one end only. A closure 2 is provided for the open end of said box, hinged at its lower end thereto at 3, and having marginal flanges 4 fitting upon the outside of the box. Upon the outer face of said closure is a pocket 5 whose open top is covered by a swinging closure 6, having marginal flanges 7 inclosing the pocket. The closure 6 may be hinged to the closure 2 by any desired means, but as shown, the closure 2 is transversely slotted at 8 to receive a diminished part of the closure 6 having ears 1O inside the box which secure it in place while permitting swinging movement.

The numeral 19 denotes a standard or staff made of piece of metal plate and having an enlarged upper end 20 which serves as a semaphore. The staif 19 is medially pivoted Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

Serial No. 300,754.

at 18 to one side of the box 1, so that when in its erect position, the semaphore 20 is positioned entirely above the box.

A horizontal bracket 11 is fixed upon the closure 2 to project beyond the side of the box on which said semaphore is mounted, and has its outer end 12 bent rectangularly, an arm 1d being pivoted to the part 12 at 13. The arm 14 is offset to provide a member 15 positioned in contact with the adjacent side of said box, and has a longitudinal slot 16. A pin 17 extends from the lower end of the staff 19 slidingly and pivotally into said slot 16. A stop-bracket 21 is fixed to the same side of the box and serves to limit movement of the semaphore 20 downwardly in one direction.

In Fig. 1, the mail-box is shown closed with the semaphore 20 down, which indicates to a mail carrier that the box 1 and pocket 5 are empty.

When the closure 2 is lowered, and mail deposited in said box, the device is in the position of Fig. 3, with the arm 141-45 and staff 19 extended in alinement. The closure 2 is then manually raised to its closed position and the semaphore 20 is swung upwardly to an erect position, the moving parts then being in their respective positions shown in Fig. 2, the raised semaphore indicating to a mail carrier that mail has been placed in the box. The sliding and pivotal connection of the staff 19 with the arm part 15 is such as to permit manipulation of the parts with ease, but it will be seen that when the semaphore 20 is in either an erect or lowered position, it will not be displaced by accidental contact.

The pocket 5 is provided for the deposit of money or stamps and is fully protected from the weather by its flanged closure 6.

When the mail carrier swings the closure 2 downwardly to remove the contents of the box, he receives the coin which may have been placed in the pocket 5, in his hand placed thereunder, the coin sliding out by gravity when the closure 2 is lowered. In the same way, stamps are removed from the pocket.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A mail box open at one end, a closure to inclose the open end of the receptacle, the hinged to the lower horizontal edge of the cover swinging open by gravity when the box at said opening to swing vertically, a .closure is swung downwardly to its opened 10 downwardly diminished opentop receptacle position.

5 mounted on the outside of said closure, and a Si ned at Waterloo, Iowa, this 15th day cover for said receptacle hinged to said of hay, 1919. closure and marginally flanged downwardly OSBORN RICHARD PAYNE. 

